Angie Maldonado

Galapagos 2024 - Excellent Trip!
My husband and I just completed a 9 day trip to Quito and the Galapagos Islands. We want to recognize the highlights of our trip with a few special commendations.
Angie Maldonado - Did an excellent job booking all the drivers, local transportation, excursions, hotels, and even dining for Christmas eve, and Christmas Day! We wanted to feel entrenched in the local culture, and we did!
Quito - Outstanding guide: Cristobal! We thoroughly enjoyed his tireless attention from the time of our arrival at the airport to our departure. He was a wealth of knowledge, attentive, shared so much with us, including recommendations for local foods. Exceptional experience! We stayed in Casona de la Ronda and loved the accommodations and the staff as well!
Santa Cruz - We stayed at the Acacia Boutique Hotel. Perfect location, lovely people, spacious accommodations. Excellent choice for us! We loved our excursion to the highlands to see the Tortoises and our excursion to Bartolome island where we snorkeled, and saw sharks, penguins, and the famous blue footed boobies along the way as well. The scenery was exceptional! We also spent time visiting N. Seymour Island. Busy schedule, but wouldn't change any of it.
Isabela Island - A welcome quiet experience on this island. Less commercialized, at this time... hope it stays that way. Very much enjoyed all of our day excursions, but our favorite was Los Tunneles, and our hike on the Sierra Negra Volcano. We were here for 3 nights, and wish we had had another day or 2 to explore and relax more.
Some helpful tips or things new South American Travelers should know:
1. No toilet paper disposal (you can't flush it!) in the toilets anywhere. If you want to bring sanitary bags to dispose, that might feel better to you.
2. Bring small denominations (not just $20's) for tipping money. This will be a big part of your expenses while on the islands.
3. Be prepared for some minor inconveniences, and handle them with grace. We were totally embarassed by some of the tourists we witnessed misbehaving toward the dedicated, gracious natives we encountered.
4. Angie and guides did a great job helping us navigate the travel requirements including paying for Transit Control Card, and admission fee to Galapagos National Park upon arrival/departure.
5. You will be moving around a lot on this trip. Try NOT to overpack. (We did bring a wetsuit and our own snorkel and mask and we were glad we did).
6. Final recommendation: The trip back to Colorado was quite long to do without an overnight stay on the mainland on the way back. If you have enough time, I would recommend booking an overnight stay after leaving Baltra airport, on the mainland, rather than hanging out at the airport for several hours in Quito and having to travel for such an extended period of time.
We loved our trip to Ecuador! We appreciate all the drivers, guides, boat captains, restaurant and hotel workers who were so kind, and always helpful. The food was delicious everywhere!
We love the model for KimKim - with local agents planning the trip! They are also a great contact if you have any hiccups/issues/concerns during your trip, and Angie was very responsive, and did "check on us" to make sure all was going well.
Thank you for the surprise of covering our Christmas Dinner!
Happy New Year to all!

Hotel Reviews

La Casita de la Playa

Puerto Villamil

Lovely, clean beachside accommodations within steps of amazing oceanview sunsets! Room size was adequate, bed was comfortable. WIFI was reliable and quite good! Staff was excellent! Food for breakfast was excellent! Only inconvenience - ran out of water around 6 p.m. (which did not affect us too much, but did for some other guests. I think this is an island problem, not an isolated problem to this accommodation). Would be nice to have a few hooks outside the rooms to hang up swimsuits, etc, to let them dry.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beachside! Easy to walk to center of town and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acacia Galápagos Boutique Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Excellent location! Easy walk to restaurants, shops, pier, Charles Darwin center. Hotel clean, with pool and hot tub, comfortable mattress, TV; designed with safety and security in mind as a bonus. Quiet in our room and away for the busy town streets. Wifi available but somewhat unreliable. Spacious room and accommodations. Staff very attentive and always on top of our needs/schedules. Very good breakfast, and packed us box breakfasts when needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

We arrived in the early morning (2:00 a.m.?). There was a city wide power outage when we arrived, and the back up generator was working beautifully, and the staff was expecting us. Although the street we were on was busy at night, we did not hear a peep in our rooms! (YAY) The staff was diligent with walking us to/from our driver's car and making sure we were well attended to. Breakfast was good; Wifi was good. Mattresses were comfortable; room was spacious. Loved the atmosphere here! Felt very authentic!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer Baltra Airport - Puerto Ayora with visit to the highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Our transfer did not go smoothly. There was no one there waiting for us with a sign and our name on it, as expected. We had the name of the person who was supposed to greet us but they did not show up. The manager of the tour company eventually showed up after I contacted the agent from KimKim and smoothed everything out. The visit to the highlands was a 5 star experience, along with the expertise and friendliness of our guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Excursion to Tortuga Bay

Galapagos Islands

Wish we had been able to spend more quiet time here. It was beautiful. We were unable to snorkel here due to a laceration I had on my knee, and kayaking had not been planned here. Wish we could have done either. It is beautiful, and quiet. Our guide was Diego. He was friendly and accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito City Tour

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Visit to another uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

It seemed we got off to a late start due to the size of the group. Although we loved the hike, I felt the guides were rushing us. This is not to be missed, but be prepared for a faster hiking pace. As we were near the back of the large group, we did not get any attention on this hike, nor did we get to hear much from the guides. We did, however, prefer to be away from the "crowd".

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Trip:
My wife and I did a 7 day expedition to the Galapagos Islands arranged by KimKim. Angie from KimKim was our Experience Assistant. She helped guide us through the decision making process and provided all the details of our trip. She was also available along the way as we needed some assistance with travel hassles related to late flights and such. Her assistance was invaluable.

Quito:
Angie arranged for two local guides to help us on our journey in Quito, Alejandro picked us up from the airport in Quito when we arrived (though our flight was quite late, and took us to our first hotel, so we did not have to worry about taxis or hotel shuttle transportation. He help us reunite with our lost back, and provided us with transportation back to the airport the next day to resume our trip to the Galapagos islands.

Upon our return from the Galapagos we were greeted by Fabricio. He met us at the airport, though our flight was several hours late. He provided transportation to our hotel in Old Town Quito. The next day, he showed us the highlights of Old Town Quito along with all manner of local and historic information as we toured Churches, monuments, Old Town, a Chocolate Factory, and stayed with us through our cooking experience. On our last day he picked us up very early and took us to the airport. Fabricio was very informative, kind, and genuinely enthusiastic to show us around.

Galapagos:
Upon our arrival in the Galapagos, we were met by Alex, our Naturalist and guide for our expedition. Alex demonstrated his knowledge enthusiastically though the lens of both local and learned understanding. Through his expert knowledge, he was able to show us all manner of plants and animals endemic to the islands including both the ones we expected and hoped to see, as well as some rare sightings. We visited four islands: Santiago Island, Isabella Island, Fernandia Island, and Santa Cruz Island. During our expedition we stayed on the Bonita Cruise Ship, a small ship that sleeps about 16 people. Daily we had the opportunity to hike the islands, travel in small boats along the coast viewing the various wildlife, and snorkel in the many bays on the islands. Most days we did all three. The crew performed their duties efficiently and expertly, doling out specific equipment for the days activities, providing zodiac transpiration to and from islands, keeping the cabins clean, serving chef prepared delicious meals and even a small party on Christmas for both the crew and the guests. The crew was polite, and extremely helpful during our stay.

To sum it up, my wife and I had a wonderful experience in both Quito and on the islands. I can highly recommend KimKim if you are considering a Galapagos Adventure Experience.

Hotel Reviews

M/Y Bonita

Quito

My wife and I did a 7 day expedition to the Galapagos Islands arranged by KimKim. During our Galapagos expedition we stayed on the Bonita Cruise Ship, a small ship that sleeps about 16 people. Daily we had the opportunity to hike the islands, travel in small boats along the coast viewing the various wildlife, and snorkel in the many bays on the islands. Most days we did all three. The crew performed their duties efficiently and expertly, doling out specific equipment for the day's activities, providing zodiac transpiration to and from islands, keeping the cabins clean, serving chef prepared delicious meals and even a small party on Christmas for both the crew and the guests. The crew was polite, and extremely helpful during our stay.

Location

Sailing around the islands allows you to see more, more efficiently than flying from island to island to experience the local nature

Staff

The crew performed their duties efficiently and expertly, doling out specific equipment for the day's activities, providing zodiac transpiration to and from islands, keeping the cabins clean, serving chef prepared delicious meals and even a small party on Christmas for both the crew and the guests. The crew was polite, and extremely helpful during our stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was larger than expected on the Bonita and was cleaned daily by the crew. The meals were prepared daily by an onboard chef. The chef prepared each meal with a local style and each meal was delicious.

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

Our stay at La Casona de La Ronda was delightful and surpassed our expectations. It was definitely a nicer experience than we had anticipated.

Activity Reviews

Quito Cooking Class

Ecuador

The Quito Cooking Class was a fantastic experience and exceeded our expectations. Although we initially thought it might be in someone's home, having it at a restaurant was a pleasant surprise. The chef's professionalism and the way he explained the chemistry behind cooking, not just recipes, were excellent. The food turned out great too!

Charles Darwin Station & Tortoise Breeding center

Galapagos Islands

Our visit to the Charles Darwin Station & Tortoise Breeding Center met our expectations. We were there primarily to see the tortoises, and there were lots of them. Our naturalist, Alex, provided thorough explanations, and it was nice that the place wasn't crowded, making the experience more enjoyable.

We had a fantastic trip to Ecuador - Quito and the Galapagos- and will treasure the memories forever.

Angie at KimKim worked closely with my husband and myself both in terms of organising our trip but also keeping in touch during our trip to make sure everything was perfect.

Our hotels were perfect for our family and the trips - boat trips and land based adventures - were fabulous. We were looked after and provided with lots of information which really added to our wonderful trip.

Hotel Reviews

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

This was a lovely hotel. Great location, wonderful building and fab staff.

Authenticity & Character

Had a wonderful feel to the hotel and we loved it

Location

Very central to old town and a cheap taxi/Uber to other locations. Very easy to walk to keep sires

Staff

Always helpful - nothing was a problem

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable beds, clean shower and towels- all lovely!

Galapagos Sunset Hotel

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Great location and facilities were all perfect for our family. Front desk staff were very helpful too - restaurant recommendations and activity suggestions 😊

Authenticity & Character

Modern and not much character - but clean, perfect location, comfortable and safe

Location

Perfect - close to pier and all restaurants

Staff

Always helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acacia Galápagos Boutique Hotel

Puerto Ayora

We loved everything about the hotel - it was fab!

Authenticity & Character

Modern but had character and was very tasteful. Definitely 5 star!

Location

Perfect as not on sea front but not too far away from anything - we loved it!

Staff

All amazing - helpful on every level!

Cleanliness & Comfort

We all loved it - comfy beds, lovely sheets, clean and lovely

Activity Reviews

Interpretation Center & Tijeretas Hill

Galapagos Islands

We did this trip on our own as the guide instead took us to the beach to see the Sea Lions and to the only lake in San Cristobal- El Junco

Quality of Experience

Lots of information and detail provided by the guide

Food

We had lunch at a local restaurant before setting off on the trip - hard to avoid meat but not bad!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very helpful, chatty and good company

Transport

It was on time, fit us all in and waited at each location

360° Tour

Isla San Cristóbal

The snorkeling was great at all locations and our guide was brilliant- taking photos and videos of everything which he shred. Boat crew were great too despite the return journey being very bumpy! Wet suit definitively needed, which we had been advised about.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food on board was very good and snacks were also provided

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide and boat staff were fab - very helpful throughout our trip.

Transport

Highlands of Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos Islands

We loved it all - a great start to our Santa Cruz expedition. Giant turtles were amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch at the venue was great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

This didn’t take too long but was an interesting and informative visit

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked with our guide from the hotel - nice to stretch our legs.

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

We loved it all - whilst we didn’t see too much when snorkeling the walk around the island looking at the nesting birds - blue footed Boobies and Frigate birds were amazing. Also the marine iguana 😊

Quality of Experience

Journey, boat, crew, guide and wildlife all amazing. As was the company of other guests.

Food

Fabulous!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to another uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

A long trip but the same boat and crew as our previous day trip to North Seymour. The snorkeling whilst colder was amazing. We saw penguin’s, black tipped reef shark, anchovies, rays and loads of colorful fish. 🐠

Quality of Experience

Crew, guide and boat all fantastic

Food

Great food again - snacks, cakes and champagne

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport